Western Sydney Wanderers ready to counter Saudi distractions

Although nothing could surely compare with the tactics of Guangzhou Evergrande when they faced the Western Sydney Wanderers in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League, Matthew Spiranovic says his teammates will be prepared for anything when they arrive in Riyadh on Wednesday.

The Wanderers are on high alert for their trip to Saudi Arabia, where the club is desperately hoping to avoid a repeat of the shenanigans that made their trip to China so concerning. Given the A-League side take a 1-0 advantage into Saturday night's second leg of the final, they are aware they will arrive as unwelcome guests.

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Juric scores Wanderers win

Tom Juric delivered Western Sydney a goal at home against Al Hilal bringing the score to one-nil for the first leg of the Asian Champions League final.

Saudi Arabian fans are considered among the most passionate in the region, with Al-Hilal drawing a cult following in their home country. Winning the tournament would bring untold prestige to the club and their owner, Prince Abdulrahman bin Musa'ad, whose grandfather founded the Saudi kingdom.

Despite Al-Hilal's royal status, the Wanderers are taking nothing for granted after a crazed Guangzhou fan tried to run the team bus off the road and the players' hotel rooms were bombarded with phone calls and doorknocks on the night before the game.

On target: Tomi Juric scores for the Wanderers on Saturday night at Pirtek Stadium. Photo: Reuters

Spiranovic, who spent a year with Qatari club Al-Arabi, has a better idea than most about what might be waiting for the Wanderers.

"I think it might be something similar to the game against Guangzhou. It'll be a hostile crowd and they will bring out all the tricks to try and put us off our game," he told Fairfax Media. "But I think the boys are aware of that, we know what to expect. We just have to focus on ourselves, not play into their hands and I'm confident we'll be able to do that.

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"We've gained so much experience from playing in this competition and have performed in some very tough away games in some very hostile environments. I think we've shown we can handle whatever they throw at us."

The defender revealed the dressing room was "an amazing place to be" after the final whistle at Parramatta Stadium but said the side quickly turned their focus to finishing the job in Saudi Arabia.

"The boys dug so deep and they're a great side, so we'll have to be at our best next week. I think that match was a just reward for our last three months," Spiranovic said. "We've all worked hard in the pre-season, we had such a hard camp in Dubai and on nights like Saturday, it all feels like it's all worth it. Hopefully we can go on with it now and hold up that trophy."

With Al-Hilal dominating the possession in the first leg, especially in the first half, Spiranovic knows it's a point that needs addressing.

"In the first half we didn't do ourselves any favours - we gave the ball away a bit too easily and invited them onto us," he said. "Even though our structure is extremely solid and our defence stood tall tonight, it's always dangerous to give the ball to the opposition like we did. We have to improve on that, especially when they're at home. They've got some very dangerous strikers and we need to be wary."

Spiranovic had not played a competitive match since the third of the Socceroos' World Cup matches in Brazil after undergoing ankle surgery and made his comeback as a second-half substitute.

"It's always frustrating as a player sitting on the sidelines and I'm just happy to have made my return," he said. "That was the goal I set myself when I had the surgery and I wanted to be available for this game. It was great to have played a part."

However, while he usually plays as a defender, Spiranovic, 26, went into defensive midfield. He admitted it was a nervous return after four months away.

"Of course I was a bit nervous after not playing for so long but I had a 45-minute run in a friendly match and that helped," he said. "It's still early days in my recovery but I appreciate the coach's faith in me and I'm just happy to help the team.

"I reckon I felt as good as you can feel after three months out. It wasn't easy to come off the bench and go into midfield, especially because you've got those heavy legs you need to run out. I've just got to be patient. I'm getting better each week."